Egg grader



Dec. 11, 1956 E, 1 GRQSS 2,773,597

\ EGG GRADER Filed Aug. 9, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR;

ELM R J. GROSS ATT'Ys E. J. GROSS Dec. 11, 1956 EGG GRADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1952 INVENTOR; ELMER 5J. GROSS BY Maru/J ATT'YS Dec. 11, 1956 Filed Aug. 9, 1952 Y E. J. GROSS EGG GRADER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: GROSS ATTYs E. J. GROSS EGG GRADER Dec. 11, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ELMER L GROSS Filed Aug. 9, 1952 United States Patent EGG GRADER Elmer J. Gross, Chicago, lll.

Application August 9, 1952, Serial No. 303,550

15 Claims. (Cl. 209-121) This invention relates to devices for automatically gr-ading eggsy according to weight.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved candling and grading device requiring a minimum of attention by an operator; to provide a device of this kind in which the candling and grading are' done in one handling operation, the candler merely placingthe selected eggs in a trough from which they are automatically withdrawn in succession and discharged into separate compartments of a receiving tray; to provide improved dispensing mechanism for automatically delivering the eggs, one at a time, from an inclined chutetto provide improved transfer mechanism for lowering the eggs from one runway to another; to provide improved mechanism for timing the operation of such transfer mechanism; to provide improved interconnection between the transfer mechanism and the automatic dispensing mechanism so that the delivery of eggs occurs in harmonious relation to the reciprocating movements of the transfer mechanism; and to provide an improvedform of grading runway of segmental form in which a series of weighing scales controls the passage of eggs of different weight to different delivery chutes.

Other objects will appear from the following description and drawings which are directed` to aV specilic illustrative embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective front view of an egg candling and grading machine constructed according to this invention, the front wall of the casing being shown hinged at the bottom and turned downl to expose the internal mechanism to view.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the transfer mechanism by means of which the eggs arelowered from the receiving runway and delivered in timed sequence to the grading runway.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the egg grading runwayy on a somewhatlarger .scale than Figure l and vshowing the co-acting relation of theA weighing segments to the-dumping segments of such .run-,

Fig. 7 is al similar view showing the position ofthe latchingelements during the tilting of the dumping seg-.

ment.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the automatic trip mechanism that controls the delivery of eggs from the receiving runway to the transfer bucket.

Fig. 9 is a detail in perspective of a det'entmember for 4controlling the passage of eggs from the receiving runway.,

ice

Figs. l0, 1l, l2, 13 and 14 are details in side elevation, partly in section, showing successive steps in the interaction of the devices that control the delivery of eggs to the transfer bucket.

In the form shown in the drawings, the egg grader comprises a receiving magazine in the form of a troughlike runway 1 which is slightly inclined toward its delivery end and shaped so that eggs will roll freely thereon, a bucket 2 that carries the eggs downward and discharges them on an egg grading runway 3 that is divided into a series of alined grading units comprising weighing segments 4 alternating with dumping segments 5 and corresponding in number of units to the number of weight grades into which the batch of eggs is to be divided.

As shown, the receiving runway 1 is inclined downward toward the right of Figure l and the delivery runway 3 is` inclined downwardly toward the left of Figure l' so that the eggs to be graded will roll from right to left by their own gravity. Along the rear side of the grading runway there is a platform 6 that inclines down rearwardly and that has mounted thereon, adjacent to each one of the dumping segments 5, a pair of tracks 7 with guard rails S of slightly higher elevation than the tracks 7 for proper delivery of eggs from the dumping segments.

Behind the platform 6 there is a tray, not shown which will be understood to be divided by partitions running from front to rear' for separation of the delivered eggs of ydifferent grades. Tubular clips 9 on the platform 6 are provided for receiving dowel-like projections on thefront ends of the subdividing partitions ofthe deliveryV tray.

The supporting frame of the machine is partly enclosed by a housing 10, of which the front wall 11 extends throughout the length of the machine and is hinged' along its bottom edge so that it may be swung from the open position in which it is shown in Figure 1 to a closed position in which the wall 11 will be upright and the inclined shelf 12 will slope downward toward the grading runway 3 with its edge 13 located at approximately the level of the runway 3. The shelf 12 and a similar shelfl 12.1 on the rear wall of the housing prevent any possibility of the eggs falling off of runway 3 when dumped from the bucket 2.

' The extension 14 of the front wall 11 has a turn-button 15 positioned to engage a matching aperture 16 for holding the wall 11 in its upright position.

A candling lamp 1'] is mounted at the front side of the supporting frame and the front wall 11 has a lamp housing 18 with a lens tube 19 against which the operator holds the eggs for candling inspection before they are placed upon the runway 1.

The receiving runway 1 has downwardly converging guard lianges 20 to assure the proper centering and rolling of the eggs along the tracksv 2'1 of this runway.' The delivery end of this runway is more sharply inclined, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, utilizing a part of the weight of the eggs to operate the automatically shiftable detents that control the delivery of eggs from thisrunway. In

the form shown there are three detents that are inter-h related, the first and second control the approach of eggs in single tile order to delivery position where the third detent holds the foremost egg on the deliveryl chute until' the transfer bucket comes to a position to receive it'.

Thev structure and operation of theseV detent mechanismsl will' best be understood from Figs'. 8 to 14 in-f clusive. A channel-shaped frame 22 isv mounted below theY tracks 21 and has pivoted thereon, by means of a shaft 23, an L-shaped cradle structure 24 having an upright labutrnentforming a first detent 25 at its receiving end Mand lhaving a pair of horizontally disposed parallel 1 tracks' with rounded shouldersv forming a' second detent 26 near its delivery end. The detent 25 has a latch lever 27 pivotally mounted on its front face on a horizontal pin 28. When the detent 25 is elevated as in Fig. 9, the latch lever 27 is normally urged by gravity to a position in which its upper arm 29 stands somewhat in front of the detent 25, and its lower arm 30 seats on a crossbar 31 of the frame 22.

The trip latch lever 27 normally falls by gravity toward the position with respect to the detent 25 in which it is shown in Fig. 9; that is, with the cheek flanges of the lower arm 30 resting against the lower part of the detent 25 so that when the cradle 24 is in the position in which it is shown in Figs. 9 and 11, the lower end of the trip lever 27 will rest on the crossbar 31 and lock the member 24 against tilting.

When the iirst egg A of Fig. comes in contact with the trip lever 27, it shifts the lower arm 30 to the left of the crossbar 31 and allows the cradle .24 to tilt by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 10. Further rolling of the egg A will depress the detent shoulders 26, restoring the latch lever 27 to the locking position in which it is shown in Fig. 9, allowing the egg A to roll toward the right as in Fig. 11.

Immediately beyond the right hand end of the cradle 24, there is a third detent arm 32 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 33 on the frame 22, which lever has an arm 34 that rests on a frame bar 35. This arm 34 extends under the adjacent end of the cradle member 24 and prevents the detent 32 from being tilted when the cradle is locked as in Fig. 11. An egg A is therefore held on the runway by detent arm 32 until after a second egg B trips the latch 27 as indicated in Fig. l2. Detent 25 now stops egg B until egg A is released by detent 32.

Tripping of the detent 32 is controlled by a bell crank lever 36 which is pivoted on the frame 22 and has a blade-like arm 37 that will be swung into the position shown in Fig. 11 where it locks the detent arm 32 in egg stopping position, if the bucket 2 is not in position to receive an egg.

i If, however, the bucket 2 is in its egg-receiving position, the arm 37 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 12. Now inasmuch as the egg B has tripped the latch 27, theA detent 32 swings down allowing the egg A to roll into the bucket 2. The corresponding movement of the arm 34 and the pull of gravity causes the cradle 24 to rock into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 13, allowing the egg B to roll into contact with the shoulders 26 as shown in Fig. 13, where it is held until the cradle 24 is released by the arm 34. The bell crank lever 36 has an arm 38 which determines the position of the arm 37 through movement of a guide member 39 on bucket 2 and the detent arm 32 has a lug 40 which stops the movement of the arm 37 in the position shown in Fig. 14; but the arm 37 has an aperture 41 into which the lug 40 may pass when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 13.

The weight of the egg A now causes the bucket 2 to` descend, depressing the bell crank arm 3S and raising the arm 37 as shown in Fig. 14. This lifts the detent arm 32 to its egg-stopping position and retracts the arm 34, whereupon the weight of the egg B rocks the cradle 24 to the latched position in which it is shown in Fig. 11 and allows that egg to roll to the position A in that gure. This sequence of operations is repeated for each egg that rolls down the runway 1.

The elevator bucket 2 is elevated and lowered by gravity under control of the mechanism, shown in detail in Fig. 2, which comprises a post 41 that is raised and lowered while being maintained in a vertical position by parallel motion levers 42 and 43 pivoted at 44 and 45 on a frame member 46. The lever 43 has 'an arm 43.1 that carries an adjustable weight 47 that slightly overbalances the weight of the bucket 2 and its supporting connections, so that the bucket 2 is normally urged by gravity to the egg-receiving position in which it is shown by full lines weight 66.

in Figs. 8 and 2, in which position the arm 43.1 rests on a limit stop 48.

The bucket 2 is xed on an arm 49 pivoted at 50 on post 41 and connected by a link 51 with lever 43, whereby the arm 49 is tilted by the lever 43 so that in its lowered position 49.1, the bucket 2 will be tilted to the dumping position 2.1 for delivering an egg to the grading runway 3.

The weight 47 is adjusted along the arm 43.1 to a point where the smallest egg that is delivered to the bucket 2 will overbalance the counterweight and cause the bucket to descend until it is stopped by coming into contact with the track of grading runway 3.

A weighted pawl 53, pivoted at 54 on the arm 43 at a point between the bucket and the pivot 45, has a nose 55 that engages teeth on the ratchetwheel 56 to control the speed of descent of the bucket 2. The ratchetwheel is driven at constant speed in the direction of the arrow 57 by an electric motor 58 and thus times and controls the descent of the bucket, causing the egg to be delivered without shock to the runway 3. As soon as the egg leaves the bucket 2, the counterweight 47 elevates the bucket 2 and the pawl 53 rides idly back to its initial position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

'I'he guide member 39 is a loop of wire fixed on the bucket 2 in position to raise the bell crank lever arm 38 and lower the arm 37 so as to release the egg-retarding detent 32. When the bucket 2 is in its elevated position for receiving an egg at the position A in Fig. 1l, the detent 32 will still be locked by cradle 24, bearing on the arm 34 unless and until the latch 27 has been released by the next egg B as shown in Fig. 12, whereupon the egg B tilts the cradle and rolls against the shoulders 26, while egg A rolls into the bucket 2, tilting the detent 32 and raising its bell crank arm 34 to hold the cradle 24 in the position where its shoulder 26 blocks the movement of egg B, as shown in Fig. 13. The descent of the bucket 2 under the weight of egg A allows bell crank arm 38 to fall raising arm 37 to lock detent 32 in its egg holdingposition. Cradle 24 is now free to yield under egg B, as indicated in Fig. 14, and returns to its latched position while egg B rolls into contact with detent 32. The cradle 24 has a counterweight 59 to help tilt the cradle 24 to the position shown in Fig. 10.

The grading runway 3 comprises a series of segments certain of which (designated by the numeral 4) are part of the mechanism for selecting the eggs according to weight, and others of which (designated by the numeral 5) are parts of dumping mechanisms for discharging the eggs according to weight from the runway 3.

Each section of the runway 3 comprises a plate 60` bent to trough-form with upstanding tianges stradled by longitudinally split rods of rubber which serve as tracks 61V along which the eggs roll. Each segment 4 is tiltable longitudinally on a transverse horizontal pivot 62 mount-A ed on a stationary frame 63 and has a depending leg 64 that rests on one arm of a medially fulcrumed balance beam 65, the other arm of which carries an adjustable In the form shown, the beam 65 extends through a block 67 which is fulcrumed at 68 so as to be sensitive to the weight of an egg on the runway seg ment 4. Tilting of the segment 4 under the weight of an egg is limited by a stop 69 which may be a plate stuck out from the floor aof the frame 63.

Each dumping segment 5 of the runway 3 is mounted on a longitudinally disposed pivot 70 carried by brackets 71 on the stationary frame 63 so that the segment 5 may' tilt rearwardly on its pivotal axis to discharge an egg4 that has rolled onto it from the preceding weighing segment 4. An arm 72 extends forward from the segment has a detent shoulder 76 that abuts against a lip 77' onL a .latch member 78 that is pivotally mounted `at 79 on acrossbar .3.0 of thetrack segment `5. The latch member 7.8 has a shoulder 81 that engages a lug 82 on the crossbar 80 to limit the movement o f the latch member 78 on its pivot 79, so that it is normally urged by gravity -to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. When the track segment 4 .is depressed by the appropriately predetermined weight ofv an egg rolling on it, the scale beam 65 is tilted into contact with the .stop 69 (as shown in Fig. 6),'.the1arch member 7s will fau with the beam 6s to a position which will lallow the lip 77 to pass clear of the shoulder 76 when the track section 5 is tilted by the egg.

'The latch member 75 is bifurcated at its free end to provide a recess 83 into which the lip 77 can pass to permit the tilting of the track segment 5 as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.' The lower edge of the latch member 75 has a shoulder 84 that engages a shoulder 85 on the scale be'am 65 and thus locks the segment 4 in its depressed position, as shown in Fig. 6, for a short time while the eggcpassesl from the segment 4 onto the segment S which is now free to tilt, since lip 77 of the latch member v78 enters the recess 83 in the latch member 75.

As the dumping segment 5 tilts, the lip 77 passes into the recess .83, engages the bottom edge of the finger 86' of the latch member 75 and thus lifts the shouldery 84 from the shoulder 85 on the scale beam and allowing the segment4 to return to its normal position. Upward tilting ofthe latch member 75 is limited by the stop 87, and tilting ofthe track segment 5 is limited by the shoulder 88 on latch member 78 coming into contact with the end of the nger 86 on the latch member 75 as shown in Fig. 7.

As soon as the egg has left the dumping segment 5, weight 73 returns segment 5 to its runway alinement with segment 4 and the latch members 78 and 75 fall by gravity to the lposition shown in Fig. 4. Any egg of insuc-ient weight toy tilt the first segment 4, of course, fails to unlatch the respective segment 5. Successive segments 4 are set for lesser weights of eggs according to desired grading.

In order to assure the proper deflection of an egg through the tilting of the dumping segment 5, this segment 5 is provided with a frog rail 89 which normally lies out of the way between the tracks 61, so that the eggs that are not to be deflected will roll freely along the rails 61.

In the form shown, the frog member is made of a piece of wire of somewhat twisted U-shape, with its frog portion 89 disposed diagonally between the tracks 61, with one arm 9i) extending through a hole 91 in plate 60, being ybent so as to oifer no resistance to the tilting ofthe segment 5 and terminating as a pivot in an aperture 92 in the adjacent frame bracket 71, and with the other arm 93 extending through a hole in plate 60 and pivoted in the bar 80 of the dumping segment 5. The pivot of arm 93 is close to the track 61 that is nearest the pivot 70 about which the dumping segment tilts. Thus the frog portion 89 occupies a retracted position between the tracks in the normal position of the segment but tilts with the segment 5 and projects upward when the segment 5,is tilted to discharge an egg. As dumping segment 5 tilts,'the arm 90, running through the perforation 91 in the plate 60, cams the curved frog rail 89 into position to cause the rolling egg to turn and roll freely onto the tracks 7`leading to the receptacle for the respective grade of eggs. i

The operator, after candling an egg at the lens 19, lays `the egg on the receiving runway 1 which serves as a magazine from which eggs are withdrawn automatically. The leading egg will roll by gravity along said runway until it strikes the trigger 27 on the detent 25, causing the lower arm 30 of the trigger to swing to the left clear of the stop bar 31. This allo-ws the cradle 24 to tilt to withdraw detent 25, as shown in Fig. 10, allowing the egg A topass on as indicated. The egg on striking: shoulders 26,tilts vthe cradle 24 and allows the eggvA to roll against the detentj32. As the egg travels overthe.

shoulder 26 on the cradle 24, the trigger member 27 is returned to its locking engagement with the bar 31 'and cradle 24 bearing on bell crank arm 34 prevents tilting of detent 32 yuntil the trigger 27 is tripped by a succeeding egg B, as indicated in Fig. 12. If the elevator bucket 2 is in position to receive the egg A, the detent 32 will,

42 to fallr and its speed of descent is limited by the engagement of the nose 55 of pawl 53 against the teeth of the ratchetwheel 56. As the bucket descends, the guide 39 swings the bell crank arm 38 downward, causing the bell crank arm 37 to restore and lock the detent 32 to its upright position, as shown in Fig. 14. This retracts arm 34 and allows cradle 24 to yield to let egg` B roll into contact with detent 32 and to return the cradle to its latched position. i

As the bucket 2 approaches the upperlilnit of 4its movement, the guide 39 raises the bell crank karm 38. This swingsfthe arm 37 downward releasing the detent 32 to allow the egg to roll into the bucket, when a suc ceeding egg tilts the approach cradle 24 to release they bell crank arm 34.

, The eggs, having been lowered one at a time and ldelivered to the grading runway, roll along that. Only an egg of the heaviest grade will depress the trst weighing segment 4 and free the adjacent segment 5 so as to be discharged into the respective chute 7, each succeedingweighing segment 4, having been adjusted to the weight of its particular grade of egg, will trip the latch leversv to operate the respective dumping segments. 1

Through the timing action of the ratchet 56 and pawl 55, the eggs are delivered rapidly but are spaced at correct intervals to allow the weighing and dumping mechanisms to perform their functions and return to normal,

position before a succeeding egg arrives. The motor driven wheel 56 and pawl 53 make up a preferred form of timing mechanism which controls the rate vof descent of the bucket under the weight of an egg. Except for the use of this motor-driven timing mechanism, all mechanical movements in the apparatus are automatically actuated and controlled by the weight of the eggs as they roll along the tracks and are conveyed by the bucket.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an egg grader, a frame, a downwardly inclined. runway thereon shaped to roll eggs by gravity to its de. livery end and comprising an egg Weighing segment and.

positioned to abut said second latch member to prevent tilting of said dumping segment when said weighing segment is in its normal position and to shift away from such abutment when said weighing segment is' depressed. from its normal position. f

2. In an egg grader, a frame, a downwardly incIined V runway thereon vshaped to roll eggs by gravity to lits delivery end and comprising an egg weighing segment and a' dumping segment, said weighing segment' being movable vertically from normal to depressed positions under a predetermined weight of an egg rolling along said runway, said dumping segment being normally urged to its runway position and being tiltable sideways out of such position through the weight of an egg thereon, latch means between said weighing segment and said dumping segment comprising a first latch member pivoted on said frame and normally urged to engage and move with said weighing segment, and a second latch member on said dumping segment, said iirstlatch member being positioned to abut said second latch member to prevent tilting of said dumping segment when said weighing segment is in its normal position and to shift out of such abutment when said weighing segment is depressed from its normal position, said rst latch member being adapted to hold said 4weighing segment in a depressed position and said second latch member being adapted to release said first latch member from holding relation to Vsaid weighing segment through the tilting movement of said dumping segment. v

3. In an egg grader, a downwardly inclined runway shaped to roll eggs by gravity to its delivery end and divided into a series of egg weighing segments alternating with dumping segments, said weighing segments being movable vertically under successively decreasing weights of eggs rolling along said runway, each said segment comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails, each said.

dumping segments having a laterally curved frog rail between its rails shiftable with said dumping segment for deectiug an egg to one side from its path along said runway, said frog rail being normally retracted from such path, an arm pivoted on said frame at one side of the pivotal axis of said dumping segment and attached to said frog rail and adapted to project said frog rail upward relatively above the runway rails to deflect an egg to one side, and latch means normally holding each said dumping segment stationary and being releasable through movement of the respective weighing segment. 4. In an egg grader, a frame, a downwardly inclined runway shaped to roll eggs by gravity to its delivery end and comprising a weighing segment and a dumping segment, a counterweighted balance beam supporting said weighing segment, said dumping segment being tiltable laterally between egg receiving and dumping positions and normally urged into its egg-receiving position of substantial alinement with said weighing segment, latch means mechanically controlling the tilting of said dumping segment, said latch means comprising coacting members, one pivoted on said frame and engaging said balance beam to move therewith and the other mounted on said dumping member, said latch members being positioned and shaped to engage each other to lock said dumping segment against tilting when said weighing segment is in normal alinement therewith and to pass out of such engagement when said balance beam is tilted by a predetermined weight of an egg on weighing segment.

` 5. In an egg grader, a frame, a downwardly inclined runway Ishaped to roll eggs by gravity to its delivery end and comprising a weighing segment and a dumping segment, a counterweighted balance beam supporting said weighing segment, said dumping segment being tiltable laterally and normally urged into substantial alinement with said weighing segment, latch means mechanically controlling the tilting of said dumping segment, said latch means comprising a pair of coacting members, one pivoted on said frame and movable with said balance beam and the other mounted on said dumping member, said latch members being positioned and shaped to engage each other to lock said dumping segment against tilting when said weighing segment is in normal alinement therewith Iand to pass out of such position for locking engagement when said Ybalance beam is tilted by a predetermined weight k'of an egg on weighing segment, coacting shoulmaar a dumping segment normally alined with said weighing segment and tiltable laterally for discharging eggs from the runway, a balance beam controlling the movement of said weighing segment, latch means controlled by said bal-ance beam for locking said dumping segment against' tilting, a receiving magazine for eggs located above said runway and comprising a chute shaped and disposed to deliver eggs by gravity in single tile succession, a bucket movable vertically by the weight of an egg from an elevated position for receiving the egg from said chute to a depressed position for delivering such egg to said runway, a balanced supporting means for said bucket normally urging same upward to its egg receiving position, and timing means controlling the descent of said bucket. 7. In an egg grader, an inclined runway comprising a weighing segment tiltable longitudinally of the runway, a dumping segment normally alined with said weighing segment and tiltable laterally for vdischarging eggs from the runway, a balance beam controlling the movement of said weighing segment, latch means controlled by said balance beam for locking said dumping segment against tilting, a receiving magazine for eggs located above said runway 'and comprising a chute shaped and disposed to deliver eggs by gravity in single tile succession, a bucket movable vertically by the weight of an egg from an elevated position for receiving the egg from said chute to la depressed position for delivering such egg to said runway, supporting means for said bucket comprising a balance beam normally urging said bucket upward to its egg receiving position, and timing mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel driven at constant speed and a pawl pivoted on said balance beam and bearing on said ratchet wheel to control the descent of said bucket.

8. In an egg grader, an inclined runway comprising a weighing segment tiltable longitudinally of the runway, a dumping segment normally alined with said weighing segment and tiltable laterally for discharging eggs from the runway, a balance beam controlling the movement of said weighing segment, latch means controlled by said balance beam for locking said dumping segment against tilting, a receiving magazine for eggs located above said runway and comprising a chute shaped and disposed to deliver eggs by gravity in single tile succession, a bucket movable by the weight of an egg from a position for receiving the egg from said chute to a position for deliver-` ing such egg to said runway, supporting means for said bucket comprising a frame member, a balance beam pivoted on said frame, a vertically disposed stem pivotally connected to said bucket and to one arm of said balance beam, a counterweight on the other arm of said balance beam, a link pivoted to said frame and to said stem in parallel motion relation to said balance beam, and timing mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel driven at constant speed and a pawl pivotally carried by said supporting means and coacting with said ratchet wheel to control the descent of said bucket.

9. An egg grader, comprising a grading runway, a receiving magazine for eggs located above said runwayI and comprising `a chute shaped and disposed to deliver eggs by gravity in single le succession, a bucket movable by the weight of an egg from a position for receiving the egg from said chute to a position for delivering such egg to said runway, a balanced supporting means for said bucket normally urging same to its egg receiving position, detent means at said chute comprising a first detent member pivoted on an axis transverseto the chute having detent shoulders at its ends in bell crank relation so as to be` alternately effective to block the passage of an egg and retractable by the weight of an egg :at each such detent shoulder, a second detent member pivoted on an axis transverse to said chute and having a detent arm effective to block the passage of an egg and being normally retractable under the weight of an egg in contact therewith, said second detent member having a bellcrank arm positioned to block the tilting of said iirst detent member through the retraction of said detent arm, and latch means movable through the movement of said bucket to lock said second detent member in egg blocking position when said bucket is lowered.

10. The combination of claim 9 in which said latch means is normally urged into position to lock said second detent and is retracted from such locking position through the movement of the bucket to its egg-receiving position at said chute.

11. In an egg grader, a grading runway, an inclined receiving runway above said grading runway, a bucket movable up and down between said runways for transfer of eggs from said receiving runway to said grading runway, an approach detent member pivoted on a transverse `axis below said receiving runway and having iirst and second detent shoulders at opposite sides of said axis and positioned for alternate movement into and out of the path of an egg along the runway through the tilting of said detent member, a delivery Idetent member pivoted on a transverse axis below said receiving runway beyond said approach detent member, said delivery detent member having a detent arm movable into and out of the path of an egg along said runway and having a bell crank arm extending under the adjacent end of said approach detent member, and a latch acting between said approach detent member and said runway and normally urged to hold said approach detent member in the position where it coacts with said bell crank arm to lock said delivery detent members detent arm in the path of an egg when said approach detent member is latched.

12. In :an egg grader, a supply runway inclined downward and shaped to roll eggs -in single file to its delivery end, a delivery detent at said end pivoted on a transverse axis to tilt into `and out of egg-holding position and having a rearwardly directed bell crank arm, an approach detent member pivoted on a transverse axis and having first and second detent formations at opposite sides of its pivotal laxis adapted alternately to stop the advance of an egg toward said delivery end and to be retracted through tilting of said approach detent member, said bell scrank arm being shaped 'and positioned to coact with said approach detent member to hold said delivery detent in its egg-holding position when said app-roach detent member is tilted to retract second detent formation and to tilt said approach detent member backward to shift said second detent formation to its egg-holding position when said delivery detent is tilted out of its egg-holding position, and latch means on said approach detent memberadjacent said tirst detent formation being normally urged to prevent backward tilting of said approach detent member and adapted to be released through contact with any egg approaching said rst detent formation.

13. In an egg grader, a supply runway inclined downward and shaped to roll eggs in single ile to its delivery end, la delivery detent at said end pivoted on a transverse axis to tilt into and out of egg-holding position and having a rearwardly directed bell crank arm, an approach detent member pivoted on a transverse axis and having iirst and second detent formations at opposite sides of its pivotal axis adapted alternately to stop the advance of an egg toward said delivery end and to be retracted through tilting of said approach detent member, said bell crank arm being shaped and positioned to coact with said approach detent member to hold said delivery detent in its egg-holding position when said approach detent member is tilted to retract the second detent formation and to tilt said approach detent member backward to shift said second detent formation to its egg-holding position when said delivery ydetent is tilted out of its egg-holding position, latch means on said approach detent member adjacent said iirst detent fo-rmation, being normally 'urged to prevent backward tilting of said approach detent member and :adapted to be released through contact with an egg approaching said rst detent formation, a transfer bucket movable toward and away from an egg-receiving position at said delivery runway end, and a bell crank having one arm controlled by the movement of said bucket and having another arm coacting with said delivery `detent to lock the latter in its egg-holding position and release the same only when said bucket is at its egg-receiving position.y

14. In an egg grader, a supply runway inclined downward to roll eggs in succession toward its delivery end, a series of three detents along said runway for stopping eggs rolling on said runway, the iirst and second of said detents being connected to each other to form a member rock-able about an intermediate transverse axis for alternate movement of the detents into and out of the path of an egg on said runway, the third said detent being rockable about a transverse axis in-to and out of said path and having :a bell crank arm coacting with said member to hold each one of said second and third detents in its egg-stopping position when the other is out of such position, latch means normally acting for holding said meinber in the position where the second detent is out of the egg-stopping position, said latch means being held inactive through `.contact with an egg on said runway, and each said detent being movable out of the path of eggs by the weight of an egg thereon.

15. In an egg grader, a supply runway inclined downward to roll eggs in succession toward its delivery end, a series of three detents along said runway for stopping eggs rolling on said runway, the rst and second of said 'detents being connected to each other to form a member rockable about an intermediate transverse axis for alternate movement of the detents into and out of the path of an egg on said runway, the third said detent being rockable about :a transverse axis into and out of said path and having a bell crank arm coacting with said member to hold each one of said second and third `detents in its eggstopping position when the other is out of such position, latch means normally acting for holding said member in the position where the second detent is out of the eggstopping position, said latch means being held inactive through contact with an egg on said runway, and each said detent being movable out of the path of eggs by the weight of an egg thereon, a transfer bucket movable toward and away from an egg-receiving position at said delivery runway end, and la bell crank having one arm controlled by the movement of said bucket and having another a-rm coacting with said third detent to` lock the latter in its eggholding position and release the same only when said bucket is at its egg-receiving position,

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 16, 

